8+Step+Persuasive+Paper

=Exordium=

(Attention grabber)
Should students at ABC High School have homework? Absolutely not! Kids have way too much to do after school that does not allow time for homework. Most students are involved in many activities, including jobs, church and community events, as well as having family responsibilities.

=Proposito=

(Thesis or arguable assertion)
Students should not be required to do homework

=Partitio=

(Divider; preview of the body paragraphs)
because doing so promotes: cheating, interferes with extra curricular activities, and is sometimes not supported by families and home environments.

=Narratio=

(Background Information; key terms defined)
Homework is assignments from teachers required to be completed outside of class time. When surveyed, the amount of time spent on homework by students at ABC varied from 5 minutes to 4 hours per night. These times reflect class difficulty, grade level of student, self-motivation, and desire to be successful.

=Confirmatio=

(Body- Illustrate, Amplify, Explain)
Cheating has become one of the largest problems in today’s schools concerning homework. Many teachers assign homework that is considered to be busy work because it does not address individual skills. If homework truly assessed a student’s knowledge base, then it would have more of an impact; however, with a majority of assignments, this is not the case. Students are smart, and they realize whether or not the teacher will be able to tell if they truly did the work. As a result, many students copy their homework from each other in the morning, during other classes, and with the help of technology such as email, instant messaging and cell phones. Another reason why students are driven to cheat is because of the emphasis that is placed on grade earning rather than true learning. This problem stems from both teachers and students. Teachers need grades to enter into the grade book, and, therefore, assign homework for points. Students need to keep their grades up to be able to stay out of trouble with their parents and participate in extracurricular activities. Because cheating nullifies the value of the exercise or activity, homework does not fulfill its intended purpose.

Students who make a personal choice to participate in extra curricular activities, whether they be sponsored by school, church, community, or family. These activities may include sports, choir, Boys and Girls Club, family activities, and/or jobs. The time outside of the school day is time influence by the interests, needs, or obligations of the student and his or her family. These activities are often encouraged to develop the wholeness of the child. Due to their involvement, this leaves limited time and resources (mental and physical energy) for the student to complete their assignments in a quality manner.

Each student's home environment may not be conducive to allowing him or her to accomplish anything through homework. It is possible that the student's parents are unable to help him or her because of language barriers, misunderstanding directions, or general absenteeism. This means the student's homework is often not done, or not done correctly. Homework can also create hostility in the parents because the student is not helping at home. This hostility can also stem from the exhaustion of the students. The home environment may also prevent the students from doing the homework because of lack of resources. Many students do not have computers, books, paper, or other necessary materials. Many students are transient which also causes problem. Parental lack of help, parent hostility, and lack of resources all cause home environments to be non-homework friendly.

=Reprehensio=

(Address opposing point of view and Refute their argument)
Although some might argue otherwise, homework can and should be eliminated from schools today. "Homework helps teach responsibility", you say? Perhaps, but so does being part of a team, as many students are today; so does a part-time job, which many students have today; and so does taking care of siblings, which more and more students seem to do today, as well. "There's no way to cover everything in the curriculum without homework", you say? What good is it to "cover" a topic if it is not done effectively? Few would argue that work done in class is of a higher quality than homework, so why not focus there and make the most of the in-class time? "Homework teaches time management" is another reason sometimes given, but for every student for which this might be true, there are probably ten that either find the additional work load stressful and "burn the midnight oil" to get it done or simply choose not to do it. The fact is, for arguments that can be given for the need for homework for effective learning, there are stronger arguments for effective students.

=Digressio=

(Story or Narration)
Because students, like adults are often overscheduled, and there is no longer time available to complete all of our tasks, homework should be eliminated from the time drain. For instance, Jerry participates in both sports and fine arts and is expected to attend sibling activities. On any given evening, he practices with the basketball team from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m, then he races to the auditorium to rehearse his role in the school musical. Around 7:30 p.m.he drives to the elementary school to meet his family who are supporting his sister Cindy in her recital. He finally reaches home around 10:00 p.m .on an empty stomach, exhausted, and still facing 1-2 hours of homework. How can he possibly produce quality work in this situation?

=Peroratio=

(Conclusion- Re-urge thesis, summarize main points, have enthusiasm)
Therefore, homework should be eliminated. By removing the added pressure of homework on a daily basis, it would also eliminate the temptation to cheat in order to turn something in. Students involved in extracurricular activities often do not have a block of time available to devote to practicing concept for reinforcement. Additionally, many students do not have a supportive home environment that encourages quality homework completion due to language barriers, perception of parents lacking skills to help with the assignment, or even a quiet place to study. Many students are performing as “adults” within their own family and therefore lack the time necessary to complete the assignment. Let’s the give the kids a break and provide teacher supervised practice during class instead of turning them adrift at home.